This spell is my second reskinning of the ever-popular Hold Person. (The first is here.) I’ve long enjoyed taking an old standard and tweaking it a bit here and there. I don’t see magic in the game as a science like chemistry or physics. Rather, magic is a science like music. (Which, of course, hearkens back to an older, fuller definition of “science” referring to any body of knowledge that can be rationally explained and reliably applied.) Therefore, it makes sense to me that there shouldn’t be just Hold Person, but rather a variety of expressions of that spell by different casters, schools, et cetera.

The cleric targets 1d4 persons (according to the same parameters as the Charm Person spell). For the duration of the spell, each target must make a saving throw before attempting any action. If the saving throw fails, the target is overwhelmed by a feeling of anxious uncertainty about what may happen. Consequently, the target may not attempt that action. Instead, he dithers and worries until his next action. The caster may also target a single person, in which case the saving throws are made with a penalty of -2.